The Rise and Fall
by TheMagentaAlbatross
Summary: For as long as any wizard can remember, Morgan le Fay has her own Chocolate Frog card. But what many wizards ask is, why? What things had she done to deserve this? The answer lies in this story, a story of one of the most powerful witches in the history of magic. This is the the story of Morgan le Fay and the ones who came before her.
1. 1 A Most Joyous Day

Gorlois could hardly believe his luck. The fairest lady in all the land would be his in one month's time: Lady Igraine. As the first son of the Duke of Cornwall, he would have the best wife and would inherit the estate and title. He was indeed a very happy man.

Uther Pendragon was not. Uther Pendragon was one of the more remarkable men of his time, a strong king and leader, defender of his people and rider of dragons, particularly Black Hebrideans. But he did have an eye for women and was not as honest as he should've been when it came to the opposite gender. Of course any lady would fight to the death to spend one night in his bed, but Lady Igraine was an exception to this rule. So of course she was the one that Uther sought.

Lady Igraine was indeed a mystery herself. Rumors of her being descended from the great Salazar Slytherin were sometimes exchanged in village pubs and much more as well. It had been said that she could speak with birds, most commonly crows, and cure men infected with plague with nothing but enchanted water and a blade of grass. So strong, so independent, it was no wonder that she was not happy to be the bride of Duke Gorlois.

These three people would begin the complicated web of love and hate, lies and deception, magic and life, and most importantly, a pivotal point in the entire British wizarding history. Our story begins on a most (seemingly) joyous day…

* * *

"My dearest brother, how do you fare?" Gorlois' younger brother, Goroloth, asked.

"Very well, brother," Gorlois smiled widely. "Today is the happiest day of my life. Finally, the woman of my dreams, _mine_." He adjusted his cravat and slicked his hair back with water. "I am most satisfied with my luck. Lady Igraine, _mine_."

"Are you ready?" Goroloth questioned.

"Of course," Gorlois said smugly. "The beautiful Lady Igraine, all-"

"Mine," Goroloth muttered under his breath.

"What?" Gorlois narrowed his eyes dangerously. He was a man of little patience for the quick-tongued and witty, even if they were his siblings.

"Nothing, brother dearest."

"Good," Gorlois went back to inspecting his appearance.

 _One day, I'll have everything,_ Goroloth thought maliciously to himself. Everything would be his one day; Lady Igraine, the estate, the title, and his brother's head.

~O~

"Aren't you just the luckiest girl alive?" Lady Emilia, Igraine's younger sister, cooed. "You've got Gorlois, a _duke_ , all to yourself now! Me, I've only got a marquis. Daddy promised me a duke, but you've gone and ruined it!"

"Emilia, out," Igraine snapped. She took out a wand, waved it twice and watched as her sister was pushed back by invisible forces to the door.

"What is the meaning of this?" Emilia protested. "What are you doing?"

"Goodbye," Igraine smiled sweetly as the door shut. She sighed as she heard her sister huff angrily and stomp down the hall. Emilia could be such a nuisance at times. Igraine pinned back her fair hair with a green and silver clip in the shape of a snake. Salazar Slytherin himself had bestowed the gift upon her. He was her professor at Hogwarts, her favorite professor and her his favorite student.

"Oh professor," she said to herself, "if only you could see me now. You promised that Merlin and I would be together someday, but then he left to go gallivanting off in London. Tis most sad isn't it? After all, I am now to be wed to the Duke of Cornwall, a most despicable man with little cunning, little ambition. Not like you professor," she purred softly before laughing and adjusting her blue gown.

"Well that's that," she announced and tucked her wand away in the folds of her skirt. No one need know of her powers.

"Sister!" Emilia came pounding on the door. "It is time!"

"Thank you Emilia dearest," Igraine smiled kindly. "Now, prepare the music!"

Emilia ran off to alert the organist that the bride was ready. At Igraine's request, the ceremony was to be a small one in the backyard of her father's estate. The organist was Igraine's uncle. The guest list only consisted of the closest relatives for both the bride and the groom. Although Gorlois wasn't exactly the happiest about this arrangement, he would do anything indeed to make his bride to be pleased.

And so it was a quiet affair, the ceremony that is. The two exchanged their vows and were thus legally wed. But nothing could stop Gorlois from throwing a huge celebratory party at a local pub. Many people were invited on the spot and anybody could waltz right in and order food and drink and make merry. After all, how else was he supposed to spend his money? Gorlois had spent a large amount of the evening with his arm draped around Igraine's body and a drink in the other. He and the other men were having a splendid time. That is, all the men except for Lord Pendragon and Gorlois' very own brother Goroloth.

Lord Pendragon, being the gentleman that he was, had rescued Igraine from a particularly raucous villager. As the band played the music at top volume, Pendragon asked Igraine if he could please her with a dance.

"After all, the bride must enjoy her day," he said, eyes twinkling.

"Of course, m'lord," Igraine smiled politely and allowed Pendragon to brush his lips against her knuckles. As the music turned into a slower paced waltz, the two began to dance. At first Igraine was worried about Gorlois' reaction to seeing his precious bride dancing with another man, but when she saw how red-faced and drunk the duke was, she merely laughed and let Pendragon spin her around.

"I heard that you went to a Scottish boarding school," Pendragon remarked as they began their third dance.

"Indeed," Igraine agreed cautiously, not wanting to let anyone know about her true self.

"And what did you learn at the boarding school?" Pendragon pressed further. Of course he knew all about the boarding school that she had gone to. After all, he himself was chosen by Godric Gryffindor to be in his house!

"Is that your business?" Igraine asked slyly, pulling away slightly from the smirking man.

"Yes it is," Pendragon smiled. "I am indeed a king. It is my duty to know everything about my subjects."

"Who said I was one of your subjects, Pendragon?" Igraine teased.

Pendragon suddenly stopped dancing and leaned in close to the lady. "I am your king, Lady Igraine," he whispered. Igraine took a deep breath in as she felt his warm breath tickle her collarbone.

"I have no king," Igraine replied pushing Pendragon away slightly. He only moved closer.

"Are you sure about that?" Pendragon asked again, this time directly onto her ear.

Igraine deftly moved under his arm and in the direction of Emilia. "Yes, I am a free woman," she stated proudly.

"No woman is free," Pendragon smiled slightly wickedly as he caught up to her. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him. He began to lead her to the door. Igraine soon realized where he was going with this and tried to break free from his iron grip, but it was futile. His hands were like steel chains, binding them around hers.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded. "I am a married woman, you can not force anything upon me!"

It was a beautiful spring night. The stars were twinkling and there were only stars for it was a new moon. The pub was at the end of the road in the small village of Yubberton. Past the road was a plain, and then hills and forests.

"I will not force anything upon you, Lady Igraine," Pendragon chuckled. "I merely want to get to know you better. Tell me, which House were you in?"

"Pardon me?" Igraine asked, frozen.

"I asked, which House were you in during your time at Hogwarts?" Pendragon repeated.

"What is Hogwarts?" Igraine asked, pretending to be puzzled. How did he know? How much did he know? Would he turn her over for being a witch. If he dared touch her in any way, she would hex him to the stars and back.

"You don't know, m'lady?" Pendragon raised his eyebrows as he led her further and further away from the village. "I thought that you would remember? After all," he began to take out a long stick from his coat pocket. "You are a witch, aren't you Lady Igraine?"

Igraine immediately recognized the stick as a wand. She could see it pulsing with magic, which meant that Pendragon was indeed a wizard. So what harm could it be to reveal her true identity as well.

"What House were you in, Lord Pendragon?" Igraine asked, surprising Pendragon.

"Gryffindor," he answered right away.

"Slytherin," Igraine purred.

Pendragon looked at her warily. "Well, if you're a Slytherin..."

"Are you saying that you're prejudiced?" Igraine gasped in fake surprise. "My, my, my m'lord. You have suddenly become so much less attractive in my-"

"What was that?" Pendragon's head snapped up in surprise. "Are you saying that you don't like me as much?"

"Well, if I am to be honest," Igraine began, "you were quite annoying at Hogwarts and you were still a prejudiced-"

"How do you recognize me from Hogwarts?" Pendragon demanded. Lady Igraine was proving to be very difficult to woo. She had walls of steel blocking her from the rest of the world. How was he supposed to break them?

"You courted Mediha Luan, don't you remember?" Igraine laughed.

"Oh," Pendragon blushed. "I remember now. And then you called me a flirt and that my mother should be ashamed of myself, right?"

"Absolutely correct," Igraine nodded her head enthusiastically. There was something about Pendragon that made her laugh. Perhaps it was because he was so slow with everything or he wasn't as bright as her, but she knew that he would be fun to play around with.

"Uther, may I call you that?" she asked politely. Pendragon nodded and stared as she took off her cloak, revealing bare shoulders and a rather low neckline for her time. "I think that we are going to be great friends."

"I think so too," Pendragon agreed slightly breathlessly.

Igraine laughed with a hint of malice, then asked, "Would you mind escorting me back to the pub?"

"Of course," Pendragon gushed and held out his arm for Igraine to take.

"Thank you Uther," Igraine said shyly, turning her head slightly away from Pendragon. She chuckled softly as she heard him take a deep breath. The two began to walk back across the field and into the town. Out of the corner of her eyes, Igraine could see Pendragon blushing and fiddling with his collar with his free hand.

"Don't be afraid," she murmured and looked up at the lord with wide, doe eyes. Pendragon swallowed hard and looked away from the woman. The two walked back in silence for the rest of the walk, Pendragon occasionally sneaking a glance at the serene lady holding his arm.

What was she playing at here? Why was she suddenly so interested in him? Should he be wary of her motivations? Now, Uther was a Gryffindor and a trait that is sometimes affiliated with Gryffindor is rashness and impulsiveness. Uther was the very definition of both descriptions, therefore his decision making wasn't always the greatest. So when Igraine leaned close to his ear as they arrived at the pub and whispered, "Goodnight Uther. I shall see you soon," he didn't stop to think about the fact that she had a husband, or the fact that she was a Slytherin. The only thing that he was thinking of was how nice her warm breath felt against his neck and how close she was to him.

And that, would be his downfall.


	2. 2 The Meadow

Uther Pendragon sat in his study, twirling a quill in between his fingers. At had been two weeks since the wedding of Lady Igraine and Duke Gorlois of Cornwall. Two weeks since that night in which Igraine had become a friend. Two weeks since they first started exchanging letters. Most of them went a little something like this:

 _"My dearest Uther,_

 _How do you fare? Gorlois is simple despicable and vile. I much prefer our company over his. I miss your company, do you miss me?"_

and his response would be:

" _Lady Igraine,_

 _I am sorry to hear that you are displeased with your marriage. I was wondering when you would be available for a meeting at my estate. Of course of that is inconvenient, we could always meet at the meadow._ "

Uther twirled his quill in his finger. Ever since he and Igraine had found out that the other was capable of magic, he found that it had crept slowly back into his life. Uther had tried to eradicate all traces of magic from his life, that is, except for his precious dragons. But Igraine was an exception. She always had something to say, always made him think. She was just so... interesting to talk to, or in his case, write to.

He gave the letter to his eagle owl, a beautiful bird by the name of Charlotte after his mother. Charlotte nipped at his large fingers before flying off into the distance. As Uther absentmindedly stared out the window, his mind drifted to Igraine. She was so lovely, she really was. Long hair the color of the sunset, eyes the color of the ice and high cheekbones which made her look so elegant. She wasn't too tall or short, but walked with a grace and elegance that any lady would like to mimic. She had a witty tongue, was quite intellectual and always made him question his actions in the nicest way possible. All in all, she was something of a wonder to him.

So Uther was positively thrilled when she replied to his letter, saying that in a fortnight and two days, she would have the opportunity to meet him at the meadow. Grinning with joy, he promptly jumped out the window and onto a well-positioned Hebridean Black who guarded the door. The dragon, whose name was Lockjaw, screeched before becoming more placid at Uther's touch.

* * *

"How do you do m'lady?" Uther bowed as he saw Igraine approach him. He had anticipated this day for a fortnight and two days and just like she had said. Igraine looked tired; there were dark bags under her blue eyes and her shoulders were sagging forward slightly. Nonetheless the eyes which had the bags were still bright and witty and she still walked with that recognizable elegance and grace. It was like she was coming out of a scene of his mother's sappy love stories. The meadow brought out the life of her. Her dark red dress contrasted darkly with the bright green grass. And her light red hair stood out from the dark dress.

Uther inhaled sharply, realizing how pretty Igraine was. "Hello m'lady," he greeted hesitantly, holding his arm out for the smiling lady.

"Hello m'lord," Igraine greeted back ."How do you do on this fine day?"

"I'm doing well," Uther tried to say confidently. The two looked at each other in silence; Uther shyly and Igraine bold.

"That is good," she agreed. She wrapped her arm loosely around his, lips turned up at the corners in a flirty smile. "I am not doing as well as you are unfortunately. You see, Gorlois is absolutely hideous and disgusting. He has absolutely no table manners, how he has even managed to keep the title of Duke is beyond me. Not to mention that he has zero regard for anybody but himself. Do you know what he said to his poor brother?" Igraine asked. "Well..."

Uther let Igraine talk as they walked around the meadow. Any person who passed by would be very confused at the couple walking around in circles. Uther listened to Igraine rant about how she was infuriated with the small, trivial things that Gorlois had done. He wondered why she wasn't talking about bigger things, like how he treated her. But then again, she _was_ a Slytherin and fear was weakness. He noticed that when the sunlight hit her hair, he could see it shine a soft golden color. The silver jewels that she donned sparkled and glittered in the sunlight. He found himself staring at her neck, watching the emeralds and sapphires and silver reflect light.

"-and so, I then told him, what are you looking at?" Igraine snapped, stepping back slightly.

"Nothing," Uther replied hastily, looking back at her face. She was frowning slightly, eyes narrowed and lips pouting. "I was just admiring the way that the light reflected off of your necklace."

"Thank you," Igraine said curiously. "Goroloth, Gorlois' younger brother gave it to me as a wedding present."

"Well, it's beautiful," Uther smiled shyly, reaching his finger out to touch the heavy necklace. It was cool to his touch and he traced his fingers along the intricate patterns. Icy eyes looked down at his finger resting near his collarbone. Uther briefly met Igraine's smirking eyes and he lowered his hand to his side.

"I just wanted to, err..." he coughed, looking away.

"Wanted to do what?" Igraine asked lightly, playing with the necklace.

"I wanted to feel the necklace," Uther responded awkwardly. He cleared his throat and the two fell into an uncomfortable silence. Igraine walked beside him calmly with a slight hop in her step. Uther on the other hand walked stiffly, trying not to look at the woman's smirking face.

"How did you become interested in dragons?" Igraine asked suddenly, their first bit of conversation since the necklace.

"Well," Uther heaved a sigh of relief, grateful for the conversation. He didn't like the silence, it made him think. "Well, Professor Gryffindor was telling us about the different types of dragons and I grew curious. Naturally I asked which one was the most dangerous one that lived near here and Gryffindor told me the Hebridean Blacks were."

"And being the foolish, reckless person you are," Igraine continued for him, "you just had to go see one for yourself-"

"And try to tame it," Uther added proudly.

"Were you successful?" Igraine asked, now rather interested in the whole matter.

Uther looked at her in surprise. Had she not heard about his adventures with his dragons? Uther had thought that they were legendary and that everyone knew about them. "Well, I am famous for riding Hebridean Blacks. Everybody has heard that!"

"Well Lord Pendragon," Igraine laughed, " _I_ haven't heard of that."

Uther's eyebrows knitted together and he looked at Igraine oddly. Why hadn't she heard of that?

"What are the dragons like?" Igraine wondered out loud.

"Are you really curious?" Uther asked hopefully.

"Of course," Igraine chuckled softly. She leaned against a tree that was near the edge of the meadow. Uther joined her.

"Well," he began excitedly. "Ever since I was a little boy, I've always been fascinated by all sorts of magical creatures."

"I asked about the dragons, not your entire life story," Igraine teased.

"Well it's very relevant to the dragons," Uther said hotly.

"Alright, alright," Igraine shook her head in amusement. "I was just joking with you." She ruffled Uther's tidy black hair fondly. Uther blushed slightly at her touch, but continued his tale nonetheless.

"As I was saying, I had always been curious about animals, especially dragons. As a child, my parents always told me that a king must have a majestic creature beside him. My father's interpretation of that was a hippogriff," Uther snorted. Igraine giggled at this. Uther smiled at the happy woman and touched her hand gently. Igraine smiled up at him.

"So, erm," Uther began nervously. "Well, my parents were royalty as I'm sure you know, so I was always brought up to be a leader, brave and daring. Then I went to Hogwarts, and Godric Gryffindor himself chose me to be one of his students. This further fuelled my love for dragons. I've always wanted to ride one, tame one and just feel so free and flying."

"That reminds me of me and unicorns," Igraine said wistfully. "I remember one class I had with Hufflepuff. She had brought all of us girls outside and we saw so many unicorns out in the Forbidden Forest. There was this one young foal that seemed to have taken a liking to me. It was so beautiful and innocent and pure and..." Igraine sighed dreamily. "Well, you get the idea."

"What was _your_ childhood like?" Uther asked, inching closer to her. Her eyebrows rose at this, but she still answered.

"Well, I had always known that I had magic. Ever since that day when Emilia got the faster horse and I made her horse break all of its legs."

"What?" Uther gaped at her, mouth hanging open.

"I _have_ to be the best at everything," Igraine explained haughtily. "If anything gets in my way of being the best, then I will overcome it, playing fair or not. That is why Salazar Slytherin had chosen me to be in his house. Ambitious, cunning, determined, power-hungry as well. Anyway, I've always loved magic and I've always felt a part of the wizarding world. The problem is, after my mother, a witch, died, my father didn't want anything to do with magic anymore. It took a lot of convincing from Salazar Slytherin himself to convince my father to let me go to Hogwarts for my final three years."

"That must be terrible," Uther said in sympathy. "I can't imagine my parents not accepting who I was."

"I agree," Igraine said sadly. "So, I became good friends with Merlin, you remember him, right? Salazar had promised that with the consent of my father, the two of us would marry someday."

"Wait, you and Slytherin?"

"No! Merlin and I!"

"Did your father consent?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh."

"So, after Hogwarts, I was forced to stay at the estate. My father had hidden my wand and tried to erase all signs of magic from me. But what he didn't know was that, well, my magic was growing stronger. I was soon able to talk to birds and I began to be able to do magic without a wand."

"Without a wand?" Uther's eyes widened in wonder. "That is quite impressive m'lady. May I see?"

Igraine smiled mysteriously. She lifted her hands up and snapped once and opened up her palms to the sky. A flock of crows appeared from her hands and began circling around the two. With another snap of her fingers, they disappeared into black ash. A single black feather fell onto Uther's shoulder. He looked up at Igraine hesitantly. The woman was standing there quite serenely, looking up at the sky.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked.

"What is?" Uther was confused. What was beautiful? He had personally found her wandless magic to be slightly terrifying. Those crows had made the most irksome sound and the flapping of their wings did not go well with his ears. Uther also disliked crows greatly; they were a warning of death and war.

"Magic," Igraine breathed. She turned to face Uther. Her eyes were abnormally smooth and glassy, almost like ice. Uther found his mouth dry and unable to speak. There was just something about her eyes. Something so alluring, yet dangerous. Then, as quick as the strangeness to her eyes had come, it was gone. They turned back to their normal, lively blue color. Uther looked away and began fiddling with his collar. Igraine grinned smugly, as if she knew the effect that she had on him.

"You have beautiful eyes," Uther blushed. Igraine looked up at him curiously, then cast her eyes downwards.

"Thank you Uther," she said . "You have nice eyes as well. They're almost brown, but not quite. They have a tiny hint of green and gold, making them not entirely brown."

"Really?" Uther asked. "I always thought that they were a pure brown. Your eyes have a very striking color. Light blue, almost like ice, but with a hint of sky."

Igraine laughed at his description. "So are we describing eyes colors now?"

"I guess," Uther shrugged. He then smiled at the almost giddy expression on Igraine's gace.

"Well, let me tell you about Gorlois' hideous eyes. They have absolutely no uniqueness. They are just the worst shade of brown you could have. It's not even a brown with any hint of color; it's just such a boring, dull, lifeless brown. There's no hint of red, no hint of green, no extra darkness or extra lightness. It's just so...plain."

By now, Uther was full-out guffawing. Igraine raised her eyebrows.

"Well, let's see who else has interesting eyes. Rowena's eyes are a very nice grey. They remind me of clouds," Igraine commented.

"Don't forget William," Uther added. "His eyes are pretty much black. There really isn't any other color other than pure black. They're like holes of nothingness."

"True. Godric Gryffindor has a most interesting shade of green eyes. They aren't very light or bright. In fact, it's the darkness of them that makes them so unique. They're almost black, but you can tell that they're green and that is what is so striking about them. They have almost a glint of mischief and adventure in them. Helga Hufflepuff's eyes are the truest shade of blue. They aren't like mine, light and 'ice with a hint of sky' as you put it. No, they're bright and shining. Not dark, but bright. Rowena Ravenclaw's are a very dark shade of brown. They aren't quite black, but can be easily mistaken for black. They're almost cold, but they do have just a spark of life and intelligence and curiosity. They can also detect any lie. Now, if you want to know about cold eyes, take a look at Salazar's. His eyes are a cold grey. They seem to pierce into your soul. It's actually quite unnerving."

"Do you know who's eyes I find to be unnerving?" Uther asked.

"No, whose?" Igraine shook her head. She couldn't think of anybody who had creepier eyes than her professor.

"Goroloth's," Uther dropped his voice to a whisper. "They're so dark and chilling. I never want to have to look directly into them."

"My goodness, you are right," Igraine suddenly shuddered. "They are so cunning and evil."

"So, have you had much interaction with Goroloth?" Uther inquired. He wondered why Igraine had always spoken ill of her brother-in-law.

"Yes," Igraine replied, voice shaking slightly. "He isn't the kindest person I've ever met to be honest."

"Well, that's no surprise," Uther inquired.

Igraine glared menacingly.

"Well," Uther coughed awkwardly. "He was looking at you strangely at the wedding. Like you were a coveted reward."

"Don't speak of me like that," Igraine snarled. She hated it when men talked to her like she was an object.

"I didn't mean it like that," Uther quickly said. "I just meant that that's how _he_ was looking at you. I personally found it to be quite disturbing."

"Alright then."

The two continued to lean against the tree, talking about whatever came to their minds. Uther felt his heart leap with the joy every time Igraine smiled or laughed at something he said. He enjoyed seeing the way her lips moved as she showed emotion. Had he looked up at the tree that they were leaning against though, he would've been very shocked to see somebody spying on the two.

Somebody cunning and evil.


	3. 3 The Brother

Goroloth understood people. He could tell when people were sad, scared, happy, infatuated. His keen eyes were able to pick up tiny movements that could detect a lie, a hesitation, a worried answer. He could take a single look at one's hands and see how they were feeling. He could tell from the way that a person's lips moved if they were going to say something positive or not. But most of all he could read eyes. An extra blink, a subtle twitch, how big they were compared to a normal size. So when he had heard what Uther and Igraine were saying about his eyes, he immediately understood what they were saying. Eyes could tell you a lot about a person.

For example, when he and Gorlois were younger, they would always play with the neighboring duke's children Rosalind and Dorian. Rosalind was a cute little girl with chestnut curls and hazel eyes. Dorian had darker hair but lighter eyes. The two children were his first "experiments", his first attempts at understanding the human mind.

The first thing that Goroloth noticed was that Rosalind's eyes would light up every time they saw food. Goroloth found that he could use this knowledge to bribe her into doing things. The first time he had used this knowledge was when Gorlois had tripped him. Goroloth wanted to put a spider down his brother's shirt for revenge, but he didn't want to do the dirty work so he looked for somebody who would.

Another thing that Goroloth had observed about Rosalind was that she was reckless and didn't think of consequences. So he had hatched his first great plan. The next time the children met, Goroloth made sure to corner Rosalind. In his hand was a piece of cherry pie. If Rosalind put a spider down Gorlois' back, then she would get the cake. Goroloth watched the struggle in her eyes. He could tell they as much as she didn't want to touch the spider, she wanted the pie more. So the decision was made and at the end of the day, Gorlois had developed a lifelong fear of spiders, Rosalind had her pie and Goroloth was satisfied with his revenge.

So from that day forth, Goroloth found that he was capable of convincing other people to do what he wanted. However there always were a few exceptions, Dorian being a notable one. When Goroloth was but five years old, Dorian was even younger, four and a half. Goroloth had always felt that he was superior to the younger boy, but Dorian seemed to disagree. It wasn't even the fact that Dorian posed any threat to him. Quite the opposite actually. Dorian was just about the sweetest, most moral person that Goroloth had met.

If it meant hurting anything, whether it be a person, bird or chair, Dorian would refuse to do it. This drove Goroloth so infuriatingly annoyed. Dorian just didn't understand that sometimes the easiest thing wasn't the right thing. At least, that's what Goroloth had tried to convince him. But Dorian proved difficult to crack so Goroloth did something that he was ashamed of doing. He had given up. Dorian had been the first and only person to have beaten Goroloth and he didn't even realize it.

It was these two experiences with Rosalind and Dorian that Goroloth felt defined him. He thought that he had known who he was until Igraine of Heth Woods came into his life. It wasn't even that he was attracted to her, although she _was_ rather pretty. No, Goroloth wanted her because of her personality.

Goroloth was proud to say that he had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was proud to say that he had a wand, a powerful blackthorn. But most of all, he was proud to say that he was a Slytherin. Goroloth had been taught by Salazar Slytherin. To a pureblood like him, being in the house of Salazar Slytherin was a great honor. The Founder had taught him all that he knew and even a bit more. As you'll soon find out, Goroloth was interested in more powerful magic. He craved magic that wasn't taught at Hogwarts.

But enough about Goroloth and his magic backgrounds. From the age of eleven, he and Igraine were fellow classmates at Hogwarts. Both were in the same year and both were Slytherins. Yet, Igraine had never paid much attention to him. He never understood why she would never look his way during classes, or greet him in the halls. The only time that she would ever initiate conversation would be to ask for a homework assignment. But other than that she never seemed to notice him in the shadows. It had never really made him mad before until fifth year when he realized that she was doing it intentionally. It started as the carriages picked up all of the students from their respective regions. Since Goroloth and Igraine lived in the same general area, they were in the same carriage. And of course Igraine ignored him completely and talked to a certain dark-haired light-eyed boy that he hadn't been able to crack.

And so began his dislike of Igraine. He knew that she had seen him in the carriage because her icy eyes had rested on him for the briefest of moments when he had got on. He knew that she was aware of him sitting across her because her gaze flickered to him sometimes when Dorian talked of his Hufflepuff friends. Dorian was a _Hufflepuff_. Goroloth fought hard to suppress a snort. Of course the angelic boy would be put into the loser house. Goroloth knew that Helga Hufflepuff valued hard work, patience and kindness. To him, that meant all the traits that none of the other houses wanted. But still, Igraine would rather listen to the babbling Hufflepuff than discuss intellectual issues with him. He was rather insulted by this.

Even at Hogwarts Igraine refused to acknowledge Goroloth's existence. He would follow her in hopes of catching her attention, but the girl just seemed to look right past him. This had made something inside of Goroloth snap with rage. How dare she ignore him so utterly and completely? It wasn't as if he had ever done anything wrong to her, right? Not that he would remember the things that _he_ had done wrong. Goroloth tracked the times that _others_ had wronged him. That way, his revenge would be justified. So he had begun to think about how to take revenge on the Lady Igraine.

Igraine had grown a lot since he had last seen her closely. After their Hogwarts graduation, the next time that Goroloth had seen her was at her wedding between her and his brother. He was in awe at how different she was. She used to be a quick-tongued, witty, independent Slytherin student at Hogwarts, but now she was a soft-spoken lady who would sit by his brother for the rest of their lives. Goroloth had never thought of Igraine as somebody who could be married to somebody. To be honest, other than her attractive features, he never thought that anybody _would_ marry her because of her personality.

But then he saw how she was around Uther Pendragon and he could again see the young, bright, sly woman that she truly was.

And Goroloth hated himself for it.

Because ever since he had seen her since the wedding, he had felt himself more drawn to the lady. Goroloth would never use the word "love", he didn't believe in love, but he was interested and completely intrigued by Igraine. And so that Slytherin brain of his began to turn and form a plan to get Lady Igraine of Heth Woods all to himself. The day that she was his would be the day that idiot of a brother would rue.

* * *

"Gorlois, my dear brother!" Goroloth greeted his brother warmly. He had went to his brother's estate, the land that both boys had grown up on, to discuss important issues.

"Goroloth, how are you doing?" Gorlois opened the grand door and invited his brother in. Goroloth walked the familiar halls to his favorite room, a room overlooking the woods behind the estate.

"I am fine," Goroloth answered, seating himself on a large armchair.

"Wine?" Gorlois asked, pouring himself a glass.

"No thank you," Goroloth refused the alcohol as politely as he could. He hated drinks with alcohol in them, they upset his stomach.

"So, what are you here for?" Gorlois frowned.

"I am here to discuss Igraine with you."

"Igraine? What about her? She's _my_ wife, not yours."

"Yes," Goroloth muttered irritably. "However, as your brother, I must tell you of some...interesting developments."

"What sort of developments?" Gorlois asked, setting down his wine glass. "Is she alright?"

"Oh yes, she's perfectly fine," Goroloth waved his hand dismissively. "It's just that, she is a beautiful young lady."

"I know, I'm lucky, aren't I?" Gorlois boasted.

"Yes, very lucky," Goroloth snapped, starting to lose patience. Fortunately Gorlois didn't notice his change in demeanor as he was pouring more wine.

"So, what about her?" Gorlois asked, sipping his wine.

"Well, you are very lucky indeed brother," Goroloth smiled again. "The Lady Igraine is certainly very beautiful. However, perhaps other men have also realized this and desire her as well."

"What do you mean?" Gorlois narrowed his beady eyes. The searched his brother's face for any sign of what he meant by "other men", but his brother's face was as smooth as stone.

"I mean that other men have most certainly noticed her beauty and that they might be interested in her. She is young and quite brilliant if I may-"

"What do you mean 'brilliant?'" Gorlois asked stupidly. "She doesn't seem very bright to me."

"Ah, well around other men-"

"Have you been talking to her?" Gorlois snapped, immediately suspicious of his brother.

Goroloth feigned a look of surprise. "Me? No, of course not, brother. I've only seen her pass by when she leaves the house-"

"She leaves the house?"

"Why, you haven't noticed?" Goroloth's eyebrows rose. Partly because he was acting, and partly because his brother really was that thick to not notice that Igraine went out regularly. But he had to keep that look of pity and brotherly love, so Goroloth continues and said, "I would've thought that you were aware of her _relationships_ with other males."

"Which males?" Gorlois demanded from his brother. "Goroloth, if you truly do consider yourself a brother of my, then I plead with you to tell me about my wife. Has she always been dishonest?"

"Gorlois, my brother," Goroloth leaned back in his armchair. "I will tell you all about your wife's connections with other men. But, I must get something in return."

"Well, what do you want?" Gorlois asked, eyes wide with worry.

Goroloth only smiled wickedly.

* * *

By the end of discussing Lady Igraine, Goroloth had his brother in the palm of his hand. Of course he never revealed any specific names regarding Igraine, saying that he "could never quite make out the face", but he got a general message across. Igraine was seeing other men frequently and she was enjoying it. Of course this was a little white lie, but Goroloth knew that for his plan to work, he had to make the situation seem more dire than it really was.

First, he had to gain his brother's trust. This was of utmost importance because the two siblings were never close and any relationship between them was tense and strained. However, Goroloth needed his brother to trust him so that he could spy on Igraine without worrying what people would say. And Gorlois was rather malleable and so his mind could be easily twisted and bent into believing whatever Goroloth told me. And Goroloth knew that once the seeds of suspicion were planted in his brother's head, there was no way that anything could stop it from growing. For while Gorlois was not very bright, he was nosy and curious about other people's affairs.

The next step in Goroloth's plan was to convince Gorlois to let him spend time with Igraine. For this to happen, he had to get the trust of his brother. So everything really went back to repairing the bond between the two brothers. They used to be quite close until Goroloth went off to Hogwarts and Gorlois stayed at home. Gorlois never found out what his brother truly was, but that had created a wedge between the two. When they used to trust each other with every little detail, Goroloth was hiding a huge secret that Gorlois wasn't to know about. Of course to mend that relationship, Goroloth would eventually have to tell his brother about magic, otherwise the other parts of the plan wouldn't work.

After getting his brother on his side, Goroloth needed stronger, more powerful allies if he were to get Igraine to himself. That meant getting witches and wizards on his side. Goroloth definitely needed to find out the extent of Igraine's magical prowess, but he knew that she would most likely prove to be a formidable foe since she was taught by none other than Salazar Slytherin himself. He had heard of her incredible healing spells and her ability to speak with birds. He knew that her wand was a very powerful indeed with a core of a dark phoenix. But that was all. So he needed to get to know her better.

This plan was only just hatching, but there was already a problem with it: Uther Pendragon. Goroloth knew that Uther was a wizard, and a half-decent one at that. But he didn't know anything else about the rider of dragons. Oh, and he and Igraine were clearly close if she would tell him so many personal things. To get to Igraine, Goroloth would have to get rid of Pendragon.

So with this beginning of plan in his head, Goroloth fell into a blissful sleep, dreaming of a dead Gorlois, a dead Pendragon, and Igraine sleeping next to him.


	4. 4 The Duel

_Dear Uther,_

 _In response to your letter, I will be honest with you. I will not be available for this next month. Goroloth is engaged to Lady Catalina of Doring and the lady requests that I aid her in her preparations. Their wedding is going to happen soon because Catalina's father is in poor health and will most likely be dead in two months time. I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused. After a month I shall be free to meet with you. See you soon._

 _Yours, Igraine_

Igraine sealed the letter and gave it to Charlotte. Charlotte hooted softly and nipped at her fingers before flying off out the window. Igraine rested her head on her palm and looked at the owl as it flew off into the distance. How she longed for the magic world and all of its wonders. Uther was the one part of her life that still had magic. Many of their letters consisted of funny stories from Hogwarts, Uther's experiences with dragons or her own advancements in wandless magic. It was such a joy to be able to talk about the wizarding world. But most of all, Igraine found herself liking Uther.

Not in any romantic way, she assured herself, but in a platonic way. She would consider Uther a friend. Not a very close friend, but still a friend. Past an acquaintance. A friend. Igraine never really had friends during her years at Hogwarts. True, she had never made much of an effort, but after Dorian had proved that he couldn't even perform a simple Levitation spell by the end of their second year, she knew that there really wasn't any future friendship between the two of them. The other Slytherin girls weren't exactly welcoming either and Igraine hadn't made any move to befriend them. So she had spent her seven years at Hogwarts in peace and solitude, drinking up knowledge from books and learning more and more magic. But Uther was something else….

Igraine stood up at the sound of footsteps. She recognized the heavy sound as Gorlois' heeled shoes stomping on the ground. After quickly inspecting the room, Igraine noticed that there were traces of magic everywhere. Owl pellets, her cloak, a set of gold scales and assorted potions ingredients were strewn across the room. As the steps grew louder, Igraine took out her wand and waved it. Just as Gorlois was going to open the door, everything with a hint of magic disappeared.

"Disillusio," Igraine whispered and pointed a finger from her free hand to the wand, it vanished into thin air as Gorlois walked in.

"Igraine!" Gorlois smiled widely. He walked over to her and held out his arms wide, as if to tell her that she should hug him. Igraine put on a bright smile and gingerly hugged the man. Salazar, Gorlois was huge! Her hand almost instinctively retracted as she touched his back, but she had a mask to keep on so she did as Gorlois wished.

"How are you doing, m'love?" Gorlois asked, still holding onto her.

"I am doing fine," Igraine smiled a strained smile. She stepped away from Gorlois, relief sweeping through her when he didn't ask for another hug. "Isn't there going to be a ball tonight in honor of your brother and Lady Catalina?"

"Yes," Gorlois replied. He had an unreadable expression. No, it was actually quite readable, but Igraine would never think that that look would appear on Gorlois' face. It was a look of calculation and contemplation. It was almost as if Gorlois was sizing her up, observing her. Even though she had never thought that Gorlois had the intelligence to observe somebody, it still unnerved her. "Lady Catalina is quite beautiful, don't you think?"

"Yes I do," Igraine agreed. She had an inkling that Uther was jealous about her relationship with other men and was therefore trying to make her jealous. She would've laughed at his ridiculousness if it hadn't been implied that she and some other male (Uther popped to mind) were closer than they should did he have any clue about her and Uther? She would have to investigate this further, but for now, she could still mess around with him.

"Yes, Catalina is quite beautiful," Igraine smiled slightly. "A perfect match for your brother."

"What do you mean by that?" Uther demanded. Igraine could tell that he was confused. This ought to get his simple mind thinking.

"I mean that somebody as attractive as your brother deserves somebody equally as good-looking such as Catalina."

"You think that my brother is attractive?" Uther snarled. Igraine suppressed a laugh. The two brothers were equally ugly, but she didn't mind lying to Gorlois.

"Why, yes, I do," Igraine said, as though it was the most obvious and undisputed statement in all of Britain. "It runs in the family."

"You mean to say that you think my parents are attractive?" Gorlois was obviously confused. Igraine inhaled deeply to try and stay calm. Honestly, how thick was he? She had only mentioned family so he wouldn't get too upset and would feel flattered, but Gorlois clearly didn't understand.

"Yes, they're very attractive," Igraine nearly snapped. She still managed to keep up her mask of politeness. "Gorlois, why don't you go check on your brother. He told me that he wished to speak to you about 'important family matters' as he put it." At this, Gorlois suddenly paled and began chattering. Igraine immediately took note of this and observed his behavior closer. He seemed nervous at the mention of his brother and secrets. Did he think that she had found something out about the two of them? She hadn't, but this odd behavior was definitely a clue.

"Yes, I should go see him," Gorlois stuttered and left clumsily without another word. He knocked over a vase, spilling water on the floor. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's fine," Igraine smiled. She would have to think of a plausible excuse after she used magic to clean up the spill. With a last nervous smile, Gorlois left the room and closed the door.

"Revelio," Igraine whispered and touched her wand. It glowed for a moment before turning back to its natural wood color. She waved the wand and the water spill cleared. Igraine sighed and walked over to her closet. Tonight there was going to be a party in honor of Goroloth and Catalina and she would have to dress up nicely. Since she was the wife of the wealthy Duke of Cornwall, Igraine had many dresses of all sorts, but none of them fit who she was.

Sighing again, Igraine took out her wand and began making changes to one of the more tolerable dresses. It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

"So, you mean to tell me that I need this amulet to protect me from the demons of Raoor?" Igraine asked suspiciously. For the entire night, her attention had been occupied by an old woman who smelled strongly of garlic. The woman was very tall and broad-shouldered. She wore a flowy black cloak that reminded Igraine of a witch's cloak. She wore a scarf around her head, but Igraine could've sworn that she saw stubble around the woman's mouth. She looked so much like someone part of the magic world. Igraine had wanted to ask her a question, but quickly discarded the idea as the woman started to ramble about the hellish world of Raoor and the Church.

"Yes, you must wear the Amulet of Lumos to guard yourself against the demons that seek your bones," the woman whispered ominously. She gave Igraine a pendant in the shape of a dragon. Suddenly, Igraine understood.

"Uther?" she asked, incredulous. How could she have missed it? The woman's eyes were the exact same shade as Uther's: They were almost brown, but not quite. They had a tiny hint of green and gold, making them not entirely brown.

"Hello Igraine," Uther replied cheerfully. He was smiling broadly. Igraine stared at him open-mouthed.

"What are you wearing?" Igraine gasped, motioning to his cloak.

"My mother's old cloak," Uther shrugged as he fingered the dark material.

"You look hideous," Igraine informed him bluntly. "And you also smell hideous."

"How else was I supposed to stop people from looking at me?" Uther asked.

"By looking like a normal person," Igraine snorted.

"Oh," Uther said simply. "Well, let me change now-"

"Right here?" Igraine hissed, looking around.

"Yeah," Uther answered, as if it was normal for an old woman to suddenly turn into a dashing, young man. Wait, dashing? Where did that come from?

"Well, why don't we go somewhere more private," Igraine snapped.

"So you want somewhere more private?" Uther wiggled his eyebrows. Why was he wiggling his eyebrows and acting strangely? She had only meant that she didn't want him to change in front of all the other guests. Was there a second meaning behind her words?

"Yes," Igraine stated uncertainly.

"Okay then," Uther chuckled softly. He suddenly took her by the arm and started leading her towards the door. Igraine's eyes widened in shock. She tried to break free from Uther's grasp, but he was strong and his fingers were stubborn.

"Let go," Igraine growled. Uther looked down at her arm, which was beginning to turn white.

"Sorry," Uther quickly apologized after looking at the murderous expression on her face. "Don't kill me," he warned as Igraine's hand went to her wand which was concealed under the many folds of her dress.

"What's going on?" came a silky voice. Igraine turned around to come face to face when a smirking Goroloth.

"Hello there Goroloth," Igriane smiled politely. She could feel her hand itching for her wand, but resisted the urge. Instead, she focused on Goroloth.

"Where are you going, Lady Igraine?" Goroloth asked smoothly. He swiftly moved in front of Igraine and a very confused Uther. "You should be with your husband, not this...person."

"I think that you'll recognize him as Lord Uther Pendragon," Igraine said coolly. Her hand wrapped around the invisible wand. Igraine held the wand tightly and tried to move it to a more comfortable position inconspicuously. Luckily, Goroloth was too busy sneering at Uther to notice her strange movements.

"Lord Pendragon?" Goroloth laughed. "This isn't Lord Pendragon! This is a mad old lady!"

"Igraine?" Uther pleaded. "Now can I change?"

"No," Igraine smiled slightly. Why didn't she think of this earlier? Of course Goroloth would be suspicious if she was leaving with a man, but an old woman? Not as suspicious.

"Forgive me Goroloth," Igraine cooed. "I made a mistake. This is Lady Charlotte of the Hebrides."

"Lady Charlotte of the Hebrides?" Goroloth frowned. "I have never heard of her!"

"You offend me," Uther suddenly spoke. His voice was higher and raspier. "Who are you?"

"I am Goroloth of Cornwall," Goroloth announced proudly. "And anyone-"

"Goroloth? Igraine? What's going on?" Igraine turned around to see a bewildered Gorlois. "Where are you two going?"

"Brother," Goroloth smirked. "I caught Igraine leaving with this so called 'Lady Charlotte of the Hebrides.' They were acting very oddly and I had to investigate. Do you remember when I told you about my suspicions? Well, here's the-"

" _Obliviate_ ," Igraine whispered, pointing her wand at Gorlois. There was a flash of white light. Then Gorlois fell to the ground. His eyes were blank and his body limp. Igraine knew that her spell would keep him in that position for as long as she wanted him to. When he woke, he would also forget all that had happened that night.

Goroloth hadn't said anything, but a look of fury was on his face. "I can retrieve back the memories that you erased," he threatened Igraine. "My magic is powerful as well!" He drew out his wand and stood his ground. Igraine was surprised for a moment, then she laughed.

"So you want to duel?" she smiled. "Well then," the wand became visible again, "let us commence."

Gorlois growled slightly and shot out the first spell: a simple, yet effective, _stupefy_. Igraine blocked it easily. She was mostly on the defensive side for the first part. She had a plan that usually worked. However, she didn't know just how good Gorlois was and that would certainly make things more interesting.

* * *

Uther was a man of very few fears, but he was slightly scared as he watched Igraine and Gorlois duel. And knowing the two of them, it was most likely a duel to the death. This troubled the man deeply and he resolved to find a way to end the duel before one of them got hurt. So he quietly left the scene and out the door.

The first thing that struck him was that nobody else had noticed the duel. None of the other guests had actually heard any disturbance. At first Uther thought that it was because the duel was quiet, but after hearing a particularly loud war cry that had most likely came from Igraine, he realized that another factor had played in.

The second thing that struck him was that he couldn't leave the property. Uther was able to walk out the door, but he couldn't get past it. Clearly somebody, presumably Gorlois, had put a spell around the area where the duel was taking place. So he obviously needed to get around the spell.

" _Finite incantatum_ ," Uther said slowly. With a swish of his wand, there was a soft blue glow around him. Then the spell lifted with a whoosh and Uther was left alone in the night. He took out a necklace from his pocket. It had a black string around it, but a jewel shaped like a dragon hung from it.

Uther held onto the necklace tightly. He could feel power rushing through his body. He couldn't tell if the power came from the necklace, or if the power was being given to the necklace. All that he knew was that Igraine would be safe as long as she held her own amulet. With that knowledge, Uther turned away from the house and disappeared into the darkness. He knew what was happening, the Founders had warned him about it. He had to tell them what happened.

* * *

She didn't want to admit it, but Goroloth was a good duelist. Igraine's original plan was to stay on the defensive side until Goroloth became tired and weaker, but he seemed to be dueling with even more energy and passion than before. However, Igraine had barely used any of her energy and was therefore ready to win this duel.

"I thought that you were supposed to be good at dueling!" Goroloth hooted at one point when she had a difficult time blocking a particularly nasty cutting spell. Igraine wanted to say something in retaliation, but she instead continued dueling and tried to block out the sound of Gorlois' taunts. She would need all of her concentration to defeat Goroloth. Deep down inside of her, there was something bugging her. Why was Goroloth dueling with her? She hadn't done anything to hurt him as far as she knew. Maybe it was because Goroloth just liked causing trouble. But for whatever reason it was, Igraine wished that they could just talk it out. It would be easier and she wouldn't have to use up all of her energy. Although, she did kind of like using her powers...

" _Avis_!" Igraine yelled at the same time that she thought _"Protego"_ to fend off another stunning spell. A flock of crows flew out of her hands and circled around her; quite similar to that day with Uther in the meadow. " _Oppugno!_ " she whispered and pointed a finger at Goroloth. He clearly wasn't expecting this because at the same time a flock of crows attacked him, Igraine had shot a Stunning spell at him from her wand. Unable to protect himself from both attacks, Goroloth dropped to the ground.

With a snap of her fingers, the crows disappeared into a thin layer of ash that blanketed the ground. Igraine cautiously made her way over to Goroloth's still body. He looked knocked out for sure. His eyes were still open in shock and rage. Igraine nudged his side with her foot. When he didn't move, she was convinced that he was either a really good actor or he was really Stunned. Probably the latter, because she performed the Tickling charm on him and he didn't budge. And honestly, who wasn't ticklish?

Then, Igraine saw another figure out of the corner of her eye. It was Lady Catalina and she was shocked.  
"What was that?" she gasped, backing away in terror. Igraine smirked at the terrified lady and snapped her fingers again. This time, a flock of tiny hummingbirds surrounded themselves around Catalina. She began to scream again, but Igraine silenced her quickly.

"Hello Catalina," Igraine walked over to Catalina slowly. Catalina's eyes were wide with terror. "I am going to take off the Silencing spell now, but if you scream, you will die. Do I make myself clear?" Igraine relished Catalina's submissive nod. She would have fun with this weakling who just so happened to be rather close to Goroloth. Perhaps she could extract some information from her. " _Finite Incantatem_ ," Igraine chanted and Catalina breathed a sigh of relief.

"What did you do?" Catalina gasped. Igraine cupped her hands and blew into them. The hhummingbirds seemed to be sucked into her palms and disappeared.

"Magic," Igraine said simply. She took out her wand and Conjured up two chairs. "Please, sit. I have quite a few things to tell and ask you." She sat down regally on one of the chairs, the fancier one of the two. When Catalina didn't move, Igraine smiled kindly and gestured to the chair. "I said, please sit." Catalina must've sensed something dangerous in her gaze, because she sat down right away. Igraine almost laughed at her willingness to obey. "Good. Thank you Lady Catalina. First, tell me what exactly you saw."

"Well," Catalina began shakily. "I saw- well, I should actually be going now," she stuttered and tried to stand up from the chair. Igraine, anticipating the move, stared hard at the chair and chains immediately sprang from the chair, keeping Catalina back.

"When you have answered my questions, you will be free to go," Igraine said calmly. She folded her hands and looked right at Catalina. "Is that understood?"

Catalina quickly nodded, eyes fearful.

"Good. So, tell me, what did you see?"

"I s-saw, fl-flashes of light," Catalina whispered. "And G-Goroloth holding a s-st-stick. You w-were also h-holding one. I saw the l-light b-being shot out from them."

"How long were you here for?" Igraine asked. Outside, she was calm. But inside, there was a storm raging. How was this Muggle able to have seen their duel? She felt that Goroloth had put protection charms around them, so how was Catalina able to get through them?

"I-I saw when the old w-woman left," Catalina cried softly. The chains had tightened. Igraine noticed this, but didn't do anything to change the chains.

"The old woman left?" Igraine asked, eyebrows raised. Why did Uther leave her alone with an insane man?

"Y-yes," Catalina replied. Her voice shook even more. "It was then that I f-first heard n-noises. I came right away w-when I noticed that my G-Goroloth was g-gone." Igraine noted the way that she said "my Goroloth." Did that mean that Catalina truly had feeling for Goroloth? And she first noticed something about the duel after Uther had left. Could it be that he had lifted the spell? But why?

"How close are you to Goroloth?" Igraine questioned. This would answer several questions, but it could also lead to more new ones.

"Very close," Catalina's voice strengthened. "I love him so much. Especially after every time I have a drink of wine. Then I feel my love for him intensiy ten-fold..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes suddenly had a glassy look. Then, began the coughing. Igraine stood up immediately and quickly walked over to Catalina. Catalina had turned stark white and began coughing blood. Her eyes suddenly darted to Goroloth, as if to tell Igraine that Goroloth had something to do with it.

Igraine took out her wand and then made her way slowly over to Goroloth. He was still lying down, not changed at all. _It must've been a spell done on her previously. Goroloth must've taken extra precautions about something. He must've told Catalina something that he didn't want anybody to know about._ This was an important finding. Cataline had done her job and more. Now, Igraine was convinced that Goroloth had darker intentions.

"Thank you Catalina, that'll be all," Igraine said quickly and began cleaning up Catalina's blood. As soon as it had started, the coughing had stopped. Catalina looked up at Igraine, scared of her reaction. "Don't worry Catalina," Igraine smiled softly, trying to be cordial and kind. "As long as you don't tell anybody what happened, no harm will come to you. But I must take extra precautions."

Catalina stared at Igraine with wide eyes. Igraine noticed that they were a light blue-gray.

" _Silencio_ ," Igraine said, pointing her wand at Catalina. She didn't want any other noise to attract attention from any of the other guests.  
" _Fibulaengua_ ," Igraine said. This time, she used her hands to perform the spell. Catalina whimpered silently. Igraine knew that this spell would be effective. It was a tongue-clamping charm, meaning that Catalina wouldn't be able to tell anybody about what happened. "That'll be all Catalina. Once again, thank you. You've been most useful to me. Now go back to the party and act as if nothing had never happened."  
Catalina nodded and began to quickly walk away.

"Oh, and Catalina? I will know if you tell anybody," Igraine called out. "Goodnight." She saw one last glimpse of Catalina's golden curls, before they disappeared. Then she turned back to Goroloth and took out her wand. " _Obliviate_." Goroloth's memories of a duel came to her and she tucked them away into a glass vial. " _Enervate_ , _"_ Igraine said again to Goroloth. He was revived after a few moments and looked around, confused.

But Igraine was nowhere in sight.


	5. 5 The Woods

Gorlois had a wonderful time at the ball. He knew that the spotlight should've been on his brother and his fiancee, but the two had gone missing for a while, so how could he not steal the spotlight? He had fun dancing with all the ladies, drinking all the wines, and eating all the cakes. It was a good night. Except for the fact that he had passed out on top of a table filled with desserts. At least he had chosen a good place to fall asleep. However, he woke to a fuming younger brother. Goroloth was beyond mad about something and Gorlois was getting concerned. It was never a good thing when his brother got mad and Gorlois knew all too well what an angry Goroloth looked like.

"Wake up!" Goroloth snapped, kicking his brother in the shin. "There's something that I need to tell you."

"What?" Gorlois asked groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Where's my Igraine?"

"That is exactly what I need to tell you about," Goroloth responded grimly. "Do you remember our talk about how Igraine might be...dishonest?"

"We talked about that?" Gorlois raised an eyebrow as he tried to recall such a conversation. Through his drunken state and exhaustion, he couldn't bring back memories too clearly. He felt a memory tugging at the back of his mind, but it just wouldn't surface.

"Yes, we did," Goroloth hissed. He took out a stick and pointed it at his brother.

"Brother, what is that?" Gorlois asked, worried. He stared at the stick which was directly pointed between his eyes. However, he soon felt dizzy and stumbled a bit on the ground. Suddenly a flash of blue light shot out of Goroloth's stick and hit him directly in the chest. Gorlois felt his body somehow being lifted up just as he was about to fall. What was this strange power that Goroloth had? What was the stick?

"Listen to me," Goroloth snarled. Even through his foggy state, Gorlois could tell that his younger brother's patience was wearing thin. Wait, younger brother? That meant that he was older so he should be telling Goroloth what to do! "You-"

"Oh, _you_ listen to me," Gorlois mumbled. "I am the older one here, you sh- AHHHHHHHH!" Suddenly a bright red jet of light came out of the stick and a wave of pain washed over him. It felt as if a thousand hot knives were stabbing him. He was burned and frozen at the same time. His body was being compressed and stretched all at once. The pain was too unbearable, Gorlois couldn't make a sound. Then, as soon as it started, it stopped. Gorlois looked up at his brother's familiar smirking face.

"What was that?" he panted, glaring at the younger man.

"I have a lot to tell you, brother," Goroloth smiled wickedly. "But first, please sit." Goroloth had taken out that stick again and waved it twice. Two chairs suddenly appeared. His brother perched himself on one of the chairs, the fancier of the two. He smiled maliciously and gestured to the empty chair.

"I said, please sit," Goroloth repeated.

Gorlois obeyed hesitantly. As soon as he touched the chair however, chains sprung from it and he felt himself trapped. Gorlois was a proud man, and never liked to admit that he was scared but at that moment as he watched his brother's eyes, dark and chilling, sweep over him with a power-hungry look, he knew that he was in deep trouble.

"Let me begin from the very beginning," Goroloth smiled. He took out his stick yet again, this time whispering something and pointing it at one of the buttons on his jacket. A pot of tea appeared and a cup as well. Goroloth poured himself a steaming cup of tea. Gorlois looked at it hungrily, but didn't say anything. He had enough sense to know that now was not the time to speak. Goroloth smirked one more time before plunging deep into a story.

"This all begins with magic."

* * *

"So, what do I have anything to do with this?" Gorlois asked shakily. His mind was swirling with words, thoughts, stories. Everything that he had thought he knew for sure was turned around, twisted, and molded into something entirely different.

"You are the key to my success, brother," Goroloth replied calmly. He set down the glass of tea on the air. Gorlois still couldn't believe that magic was real. Everything that his brother had just told him was preposterous, but completely believable. The boarding school that his brother had gone to in Scotland was really a magic school called Pigfarts or something ridiculous like that. The stick that Goroloth always carried around with him was a wand. All of the strange things that he owned, from the countless number of cloaks to weird books with strange animals drawn in them made sense now. Goroloth was a _wizard_. Somebody with magic powers that could very well kill him. Which is why Gorlois decided to exactly what Gorlois told him to do.

He would soon regret that decision.

* * *

"So, you want me to go to the Heth Woods and then walk into the ring of fire?" Gorlois asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yes," Goroloth smirked, fiddling around with the stick. Wait, it was a wand. A stick with magical powers that could very well harm- "And you better do what I say...or else," Goroloth threatened, as if he had just his mind. Gorlois shuddered at the thought. Could his brother actually read minds? There were many thing in his head that he did not want his brother to see. Mainly what had happened with Catalina last night-

"What happened with Catalina last night?" Goroloth grinned smugly.

"Nothing," Gorlois stammered. He hastily broke eye contact with his brother.

"That's what I thought," Goroloth smiled silkily. "Besides, even if you did, I wouldn't have minded. She's almost as malleable as you are. I only need her for...certain purposes."

"I'm not malleable!" Gorlois said indignantly.

"Do you even know what malleable means?" Goroloth snorted. "No? Well, let me tell you. It means charming."

"Charming?" Gorlois repeated, confused. "Are you sure?"

"I am positive that I am correct."

"Are you positive that you're positive that you're correct."

"Don't be annoying," Goroloth seethed, his hand going for the wand. Gorlois took this as a threatening sign and immediately went quiet. "Good," Goroloth smiled. "Now, go get those dragons."

* * *

"You must hold onto this rock," Goroloth told Gorlois, handing him a seemingly ordinary rock.

"But, why?" Gorlois questioned, reaching out to the rock. Goroloth handed it to him.

"It is a Portkey," Goroloth explained. "It will transport you to wherever I have assigned it to go. Or, at least it _should_. I am only experimenting with the idea. The third law of Crowes states that-"

"Okay, okay," Gorlois quickly stopped his brother from talking about this "Crow" person. He was not interested in how a Portkey worked, only what it would do. "So, I basically touch this thing then I'll be transported to wherever you're sending me?"

"That is correct," Goroloth nodded his head.

Gorlois narrowed his eyes at his smiling brother. There was something about his smirk that he didn't trust. "I don't trust you," he spat out, crossing his arms. "I refuse to go-"

"You refuse?" Goroloth's voice became dangerously low. Gorlois knew that this meant the his brother was angry, but he wasn't about to be scared by-

"AHHHHH!" Gorlois suddenly felt himself in the same painful situation as before. The knives were back, but this time they hurt even more if that was possible. Goroloth was grinning even more sadisticly happy. Then, as abruptly as the pain had come, it had disappeared. "Don't do that again," Gorlois snapped at his brother, breathing heavily. "Or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Goroloth cackled. "You'll tell Mummy and Daddy? Well let me tell you something, brother dearest. Our parents are as good as dead! And you'll do what I say, or else you'll be facing a similar fate."

Gorlois gulped at this last part, paling drastically. "A-alright, I'll d-d-do as you say," he consented. Goroloth tucked his wand away. "But, first tell me how I should let you know when I step into the fire."

"Oh, I'll know," Goroloth said threateningly, taking his wand out again. Gorlois cringed, braced for the pain again, but only a soft, tickling feeling washed over him. "There," Goroloth smiled happily. "Now, whatever you see, I see as well. Now take that rock," he pointed to the rock which Gorlois had dropped, "and go find me that ring of fire."

"But-" Gorlois began, picking up the rock. Suddenly he felt a most peculiar sensation. He felt sick, nauseous. There was a hook pulling him somewhere. He was uncomfortable to say the least and was on the verge of hurling all the food that he had eaten the previous night. Then, the feeling of being pulled stopped and he smelled the scent of dirt and grass. Standing up quickly, Gorlois looked around and saw that he was in some sort of a forest. Suddenly he felt a most peculiar sensation. He felt sick, nauseous. There was a hook pulling him somewhere. He was uncomfortable to say the least and was on the verge of hurling all the food that he had eaten the previous night. Then, the feeling of being pulled stopped and he smelled the scent of dirt and grass. Standing up quickly, Gorlois looked around and saw that he was in some sort of a forest.

"These must be the 'Heth Woods' that Goroloth was talking about," Gorlois said to himself. It was eerily quiet. Too quiet for his liking. Even the trees seemed to stand still, even though there was wind. There weren't any animals nearby that he could hear. Gorlois began to walk around where he had landed. He was in a clearing of some sort. The ground was covered with a thin layer of grass. He went through Goroloth's measly directions again in his head: _"Go to the Heth Woods then walk into the ring of fire_." What was this ring of fire that his brother had told him of? If there was a ring of fire, it should be pretty obvious where it was. He first had to figure out where the fire was.

Gorlois walked around the clearing, straining to look above the trees to see if there were any disturbances in the tranquil forest. There was nothing, not even a rustle of a tree or the chirp of a bird. Growing frustrated, he decided to go into the woods to search for any sign of the fire. After all, there was more likely to be a fire in a place surrounded by trees and things to keep it going.

Now, Gorlois didn't know what the effects of fire looked like. He had only seen controlled fire in a fireplace so the only thing that he knew was that it was red and hot. Thinking of the color red reminded him of Igraine's hair... Igraine. His wife. Where was she? Why wasn't she near him when he woke up? Why did Goroloth mention a discussion about Igraine being dishonest earlier? Igraine wasn't dishonest; she was actually quite simple-minded and did whatever he told her to do. She was the perfect wife: pretty and obedient and nothing more. Or was there more to her?

He remembered the conversation with Goroloth about Igraine now that his mind had cleared up. He remembered how Goroloth had implied that Igraine was seeing other men secretly, but that idea was absurd. Igraine was so innocent and sweet and couldn't possibly- _SMACK!_

Gorlois found himself on the ground yet again. He grumbled as he stood up, brushing leaves and mud off of his clothing. He began to walk again, still tidying up his clothes when he felt the air growing warmer around him.

"Errr, could I be getting closer to that fire?" he asked himself.

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked. Wait, was she doing here?

"Igraine?" Gorlois asked, incredulous. He stared at his wife. Igraine was wearing a pair of pants and a tunic made out of the same heavy material as the person behind her.

"Igraine, who are-" the figure began, but then went quiet. "Gorlois," Uther said nervously. "What are you doing here, it's dangerous you know!"

"What are you two doing together?" Gorlois somehow managed to speak. His mouth felt rather dry and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Igraine, why are you with this other man?" So Goroloth _was_ right; Igraine was meeting up with other men!

"Uther and I are friends from school," Igraine explained hastily, walking closer to Gorlois. He saw that she was holding something behind her back. What it was, he couldn't tell, but she was definitely hiding something.

"What's behind your back?" he asked cautiously. There were too many surprises today and he had learned an important lesson: to be always on your toes.

"Would you like to see?" Igraine asked, almost a little too eagerly.

"Igraine," Uther said, placing a hand on her arm. "Are you sure that it is wise to-"

"Don't touch my wife," Gorlois growled. How dare this man touch his wife so casually! He was outraged by the fact that Igraine didn't even seem to mind his touch. If he had even made a move to get closer to her, she would've found a way to avoid any physical contact with him.

"Is she your wife?" Uther questioned. "I was under the impression that you couldn't care less about her. If she truly was your wife, then you would have noticed her absences."

"Uther," Igraine hissed, kicking him in the shin.

"What do you mean by 'under the impression?'" Gorlois asked, approaching the two slowly. Igraine still had one hand behind her back. Uther had left Igraine's side and was walking up to him slowly as well.

"I mean that it doesn't sound like you're treating her right," Uther explained.

"And how would you-" Gorlois began, but was cut off by a different voice, one that he was still unfamiliar with.

"Run!" it shouted, echoing around the forest. "Run! Before they get here!"

"Catalina?" Igraine's head suddenly snapped up and her hand behind her back was suddenly in front of her. She was clutching a stick. Wait, it wasn't a stick, Gorlois realized. It was a wand, like what Goroloth used to torture him. Did that mean that Igraine also had magical powers like his brother. She must have them because there was suddenly a flash of blue light coming from the tip of the wand.

"They're coming!" Catalina shrieked. Gorlois couldn't see where she was, but her voice was getting louder which meant that she was coming closer.

"What's coming?" Gorlois asked, hesitantly.

"How did you get here?" Igraine demanded. She swiftly walked over to him and pointed her wand at his neck.

"A Portkey," Gorlois sputtered.

"Where did you get the Portkey?" Igraine hissed, digging her wand harder.

Gorlois didn't answer her, knowing that Goroloth would kill him if he mentioned his name at all. But maybe Igraine would kill him first for not telling her. He would either die now, or later according to his reasoning. And being the selfish man he was, Gorlois chose to die later. He was fully intent on ratting his brother out, had it not been for the fact that he suddenly couldn't speak.

"Well, who was it?" Igraine all but yelled the question.

Gorlois shook his head.

"Tell me you-" Igraine paused suddenly and dropped him on the floor. For the third time that day, Gorlois felt himself face to face with the forest floor again. He had gotten used to the smell of the earth now. "Goroloth," he heard Igraine snarl.

"Yes, Igraine," he then heard his brother say. How did Goroloth get here? Did he also use a Portkey? "It's me, Goroloth. And I have found you-"

" _Brachibindo!_ " Gorlois suddenly heard Igraine yell. A streak of purple light shot out of her wand and toward his brother.

" _Protego_ ," Goroloth deflected the spell easily with a silvery shield. This must be a magic fight. Even though he was scared, Gorlois couldn't help but feel slightly excited. He would finally be able to see Goroloth use his magic on a different victim who wasn't him.

"Get up," Uther hissed in his ear. Gorlois felt strong arms lifting him above the ground and off the floor. Uther was strong. He tossed him next to Catalina who was leaning against a tree trunk. "Now, I need both of you to stay perfectly still," Uther commanded. He took out a wand of his own and said " _Obliviate_." A silvery substance came out of Catalina's ears. That substance seemed to be attracted to Uther's wand because it floated towards it. Then the silver disappeared into thin air. Catalina's usually bright eyes dimmed and she collapsed against the tree.

"Now for you, duke," Uther said, pointing his wand at Gorlois. Gorlois gulped.

" _Oblivi-"_ he began, but was cut off by a ferocious sounding " _Stupefy!_ "

Who had said that spell? It was a deep voice so it must've been Goroloth. Sure enough when Gorlois turned around to look back at the fight between his brother and wife, Goroloth's wand was pointing at Uther. Actually, Goroloth had two wands in his hands. Igraine was lying on the floor, blood dripping from her temple.

She slowly stood up and then rotated her hands in a circular motion. Suddenly there was something in her hands. From this angle, Gorlois couldn't see what it was, but it seemed to be growing larger and larger. However, he could see that her icy blue eyes were locked on his brother in a hateful glare. She raised her hands which were hidden by a swirling black mass. Goroloth was still laughing at Uther's now limp form. Uther's eyes were wide with shock.

Igraine suddenly thrust her hands forward. A cloud of swirling black dust was heading toward Goroloth's way and he didn't know. Gorlois tried to yell, but found that he couldn't speak. It must've been another spell. This magic world was getting more and more dangerous and wacky and he knew that he had to leave soon.

"Don't leave, brother," Goroloth smiled. The black cloud was getting closer and closer. Gorlois still couldn't speak so he couldn't warn his brother of the cloud. "Come, join me. I can protect you. What say you?"

Gorlois couldn't say anything. His eyes could only widen as the cloud gained speed and was about to hit Goroloth when Goroloth suddenly turned around and deflected it. Igraine's eyes narrowed with disappointment and anger, but she quickly sent another cloud.

Then another.

Then another.

Cloud after cloud of dust came hurtling towards the two brothers, but Goroloth blocked them each time.

"Is that all you can throw at me, Igraine?" Goroloth laughed after blocking yet another cloud.

"Would you like me to give you more?" Igraine shot back. She snapped her fingers twice and the pointed at her wand which was being held snugly by Goroloth's left hand. The wand began to move out of Goroloth's grasp. Goroloth gasped as he watched the wand zoom back to its owner.

"No!" he gasped, then fired a spell at Igraine. Igraine shot a spell a split second later and the two spells met in mid-air. There were two jets of light, one blue and and one red, that were battling each other in the air. It seemed that the red, which had come from Goroloth's wand, was beginning to overpower Igraine's blue spell. Igraine seemed to have realized this as well because Gorlois noticed that her eyes darkened. For some unfathomable reason, she suddenly drew her wand away and pointed it at Uther who was still knocked out cold. For a moment, Gorlois thought that she would surely perish because he knew his brother well enough to know that he wouldn't use any "friendly" spells, but at the very last moment right before the spell hit her, Igraine created yet another dust cloud. This time, it caught Goroloth off guard because as soon as it made contact with the red spell, the cloud exploded.

Dust filled the air. Gorlois began to choke and cough, trying to clear his throat of the dust which seemed to fill every gap everywhere in the forest. He couldn't see anything ahead of him and his eyes watered when they were open, so he shut them hard and focused on breathing. He could sense movement around him, but ignored it, only focusing on surviving. Then, the air cleared up and he came face to face with his brother. Igraine and Uther were nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?" Goroloth growled, pointing his wand at Gorlois.

"I don't know," Gorlois wheezed. He coughed again.

"Where's Uther?"

"I don't know."

Another cough.

"Where's Catalina?"

"I don't know."

Another cough.

"Do you know anything?" Goroloth finally sighed, looking defeated.

"I'm not so sure anymore," Gorlois responded truthfully. He looked up at his brother's seething face. "Why did you attack her?" he asked his brother following a set of coughs.

"She is my enemy," Goroloth replied.

"But, why?"

"Don't ask questions," Goroloth snapped.

"Why did you tell me to look for the ring of fire?" Gorlois ignored his brother's previous request.

"Didn't I just tell you not to ask questions?" Goroloth hissed.

"Yes, but it seems pretty stupid to me to look for fire if you were looking for a fight."

Goroloth didn't say anything for a minute. Then he said: "That is actually a valid point, brother. Maybe there is a sliver of a brain in there after all. Let me tell you why you were to look for fire. Uther loves dragons, and he will do anything to get near them. There is an infamous tale about the Dragons of Heth Woods. According to legend, a rare breed of dragons once roamed the hills around here freely, until a dark wizard killed them off for their skin. Dragon skin is highly prized and he made quite a living off of them. However, soon he killed off so many dragons that, well, there were only a select few left in these very woods. The dark wizard, known as the Sorcerer of Heth, soon realized what he had done to the dragons. But instead of feeling remorse for what he had done, he cursed these woods. Only seven dragons would be allowed to live."  
"So that's why these woods are called the Heth Woods," Gorlois smiled. "Because of that sorcerer man."  
"That is correct. So I figured that since Igraine and Uther are getting closer-"  
"How did you know that?" Gorlois asked.  
"Catalina," Goroloth answered simply. "As I was saying, I thought that Igraine would show Uther her former property because they're friends and because Uther would want to see the dragons."  
"Smart," Gorlois said. He looked up at his brother, frowning slightly. Why was Goroloth being so placid and amiable? Usually he was quite snappy and intense and overall unpleasant to be around. It wasn't that Gorlois disliked this new side of his brother. It was just a little unnerving and unsettling to see Goroloth so relaxed. It either meant that he truly was relaxed, or that he was plotting something.  
It was most likely the latter because Goroloth suddenly turned to him with a wide smile on his face. "We've got a queen to meet," he said ominously. He then took Gorlois' hand. Gorlois was startled by the physical contact that his brother was engaging in. Goroloth wasn't one to touch, however, Gorlois soon realized what his brother was doing. It was almost as if Goroloth had turned into a Portkey because the next thing he knew, Gorlois was spinning through the air with a similar feeling in his stomach as the feeling when he used the Portkey.  
When the spinning had stopped and he stopped feeling sick, Gorlois realized three distinct things about his surroundings befor passing out.  
First, he was no longer in the woods. Instead, he was standing on a rocky beach, dark water just mere feet in front of him.  
Second, Goroloth was bowing down to someone which meant that he was in the presence of someone important.  
And third, standing in front of him was the ugliest woman that he had ever seen. And it was right then that he fainted on the beach, the image of Igraine's light blue eyes shining with hatred etched in his mind.


End file.
